The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for separating gas from solids. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for conducting a mixture of granular solids and carrier gas to a plurality of enclosures by passing the mixture through a primary conduit, diverting at least a portion of the mixture from the primary conduit by a diverter means to a plurality of branch conduits, and removing a portion of the carrier gas from the mixture in the secondary conduit prior to introducing the granular particles into the enclosure.
One use of the present invention is in a coke plant wherein a pipeline charging system charges a plurality of coke ovens with coal by conducting a mixture of preheated coal particles and carrier gas through a primary pipeline to a battery of coke ovens. At least a portion of the mixture of coal and carrier gas is diverted from the primary pipeline into a plurality of branch pipelines. The present invention removes a portion of the carrier gas from the mixture in the branch pipeline prior to introducing the mixture into the coke oven.
The present invention is an improvement of a method and apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,761,360 to H. S. Auvil et. al. entitled "Re-entrainment Charging of Preheated Coal Into Coke Oven Chambers of a Coke Oven Battery," issued Sept. 25, 1973. An earlier improvement of the apparatus and method disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,761,360 uses a separate header pipeline to conduct carrier gas, such as steam, to a condenser tank and requires an additional amount of carrier gas, typically an additional twenty pounds of steam per minute, as compared to the amount of carrier gas required in a system which uses the present invention. German Pat. No. 598,363 to Schmidt (1934) entitled "Process for the Reduction of Wear of two Conveyors of Pneumatic or Hydraulic Conveyor Systems" discloses a process for reduction of wear in a pipe conveyor.